Time For Celebration
by Suzie's Q
Summary: She meets James at a Christmas party, and he takes a huge liking to Lily. AU.


Don't own Harry Potter.

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**Time For Celebration**  
Summary: She meets James at a Christmas party, and he takes a huge liking to Lily.  
Pairing: J/L  
Word Count: 1,189  
Rating: K+

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Lily has been to these parties since she was eleven years old. This makes it her eighth party, and she's not expecting it to be anything different from the last seven. Cheesy Christmas music will play all night. At the start, everyone will dance awkwardly and bop along to their favourites, but by the end of the night, there'll be a loud sing-song in the middle of the floor for anyone _that _inebriated, while everyone else looks on apprehensively.

She can even recite the menu from the top of her head. Starters consist of salads and brown bread and soup. nothing too extravagant. Goujons for the kids - a category Lily thankfully no longer falls into - and a choice between salmon and turkey for the adults, served with the same platter of vegetables and side potatoes. Apple pie, cheesecake and ice cream are the dessert options.

Lily eats beside her mother, and gladly accepts a flute of champagne, quite pleased with herself. Apart from that, the dinner is pretty much the same, and she expects the entire to follow suit. The same music, possibly even in the same running order. The same people, admittedly dressed in different clothes, but only _slightly _different. The same conversation, the same topics, the same answers.

But there is one thing different about the party this year, and it's dreadfully under-dressed. It's also a _boy, _and he's also very attractive. He's also just sat down beside her, drumming his fingers on his knees, which are covered by well-worn _jeans. _

As if he's been reading her mind for the last five minutes, while she absently stared into the dancing crowd, he leans towards her a little and mutters, "Is it this boring every year?"

Lily takes the opportunity to look at him; thick black glasses frame wide, hazel eyes with big pupils and dark lashes. She can see every shade of gold and brown and green staring back at her. Black hair sticks up in every direction effortlessly. He's not what someone would call conventionally handsome, but his features are attractive nonetheless.

She just smiles. "Most people open with 'hello'," she says. "Just to let you know."

"I'm aware," he replies cheerfully. "But that sounds as dull as this party, don't you think?" Lily just shrugs her shoulders and refrains from wrinkling her nose. She has nothing clever enough to say to that, but this boy barely gives her two seconds before he continues. "Hello, though," he adds. "If you insist on being traditional about it. I'm James."

"Hello, James," she says pointedly, grinning. "I'm Lily. Tell me, why is this the first time you've attended the social event of the year?"

"Would you believe, this is the first time we've been offered an invitation," he says conversationally. "My dad's starting a new job at the company in the new year."

"Sounds interesting."

"Not really. So I take it this isn't _your _first rodeo, then?"

Lily shakes her head. "No. They used to just leave me with my auntie for the night. When I was eleven I kicked up a fuss because I wanted to go to the party –"

"Really?" James cuts across her.

"Well, no. I wanted a party dress," Lily amends. "But I could only get one if I had an occasion to wear a party dress to."

"Namely, a party," James remarks.

"Exactly," she goes on brightly. "So I told them I wanted to go to the party and have intelligent conversation with all Dad's colleagues and talk about revenue... And I've been here every year since."

"What, couldn't you just . . . opt out?"

She frowned in thought. "Oddly, that was never an option. The first I heard about it every year is when my mum came home with my dress."

James looks at her with a thoughtful expression. "How old are you?" he asks abruptly.

"Eighteen," she says promptly.

He blinks. "Your mum still buys your dresses?"

She laughs. "No, she buys me that _one _dress."

"Ah," James says cheerfully. "It seems you do love your traditions."

She smiles into her lap, and feels her cheeks burn. "You could say that," she mumbles. She glances over at him and thinks that he has a gorgeous smile.

"Well, I like you," he says matter-of-factly, eyeing her curiously. "I'm really glad that your parents make you come every year."

She blinks at him for a few seconds. She's only been talking to this boy for a few minutes – ten, fifteen at most – but he's making her heart flutter in a completely unfamiliar way.

She beams. "Well, I wouldn't blame you. You weren't here every other year."

"Couldn't have been that bad if you were here," he replies, not missing a beat. Her face is burning.

"Well, I suppose I should find your parents and thank them for dragging you along every year," he remarks as he gets to his feet so he can see better, glancing across the floor. Lily opens her mouth to point them out, already standing on her tiptoes, but James waves her away. "Wait, wait, wait, let me guess."

He narrows his eyes, scrutinizing each person in detail. "Is that your dad in the corner? With the glasses and the red hair?"

"Yes!" Lily laughs, throwing her hands up. "How did you know?"

James shrugs. "He looks like you."

"He does?" Lily frowns over at her father, quirking an eyebrow.

"Oh, definitely," James says brightly. "Scarily so. He looks so like you it makes me feel a bit weird about liking you so much. "

Lily's face goes the same colour as her hair and ducks her head. "Do you just write things like that down and wait to say them to poor, unsuspecting normal people, or do you just make it up as you go?"

"The second one," he tells her cheerfully. "Definitely the second one. I am an agent of spontaneity."

"Yes, things like that," she says quickly, giggling. He raises his eyebrows, and seems pleased to see her laughing.

"Yeah, I've definitely never said that before in my entire life," he assures her, giving her just a shadow a wink. "He looks nice, your dad. He looks important."

She nods, grinning at him. He's a good bit taller than she is. She likes that. "Mm-hmm. He's the company manager."

"Oh really?" James says with more interest than Lily predicted. "He doesn't look that old to be retiring."

Her smile falters. "He's not."

James looks over at her and raises an eyebrow. "Well, then, why is _my _father here?" His voice isn't harsh or mean, but all of a sudden there's just a hint of haughtiness to it.

Lily shakes her head. "What are you talking about?"

"I told you, my dad is starting in the new year," he says slowly.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Lily mutters, staring back at him.

"Well, he's starting as the company manager."

"But there's _already _a company manager," Lily insists. "My _father _is the company manager. He's been doing this since before I was born."

James just looks at her, gobsmacked. "Not anymore."

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Thanks for reading!


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